“It has no center,” McCleary said. “Its inhabitants find
their own center through daily rituals like driving shopping, eating out, and
seeing movies.”

Although his paintings depict people in seemingly
mundane situations, these moments are constructed with the care and grace of an
artist with keen observation skills and an awareness of the subtle interaction
of form and color.

All of the work in this exhibition was painted from
life, using sets built in his studio.

The new work includes a painting entitled “Manicure,”
which preserves a fleeting moment of quiet intimacy between two women that
would
otherwise go unnoticed.

In addition to his artistic practice, McCleary is the
founder of Art Division, an after-school arts program for young adults in the
Rampart District of Los Angeles.

Among the several talented artists involved in this new
program, Craig Krull Gallery will also present the work of Carrillo and Galvez.

A former student, Carrillo now runs the printmaking
program at Art Division.

He notes that his paintings depict close friends, family
members, and his own life experiences.

The images take the form of the playing cards used in a
Latin American game of chance, which is similar to Bingo, entitled La Lotería.

“I grew up with the game and loved playing it,” Carrillo
said. “Each painting has its own story based on struggles encountered when
crossing the border.”

“I grew up eating them... each bread has a different
story... I also discovered that the baking techniques were originally learned
from the French,” Galvez said.

His cookies, breads, and cakes sit on solid colored
backgrounds complete with delicately painted crumbs. He is now an instructor at
Heart of Los Angeles, an after-school program for underserved and at-risk
youth.

A gallery talk featuring the three artists is scheduled
for Saturday, March 16 at 10:30 am at the gallery.

The gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Ave. B3
(Bergamot Station), Santa Monica.

The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30
pm and Saturdays from 11 am to 5:30 pm.